UPDATE 3-Explosion rocks Mexican oil giant Pemex's offices, one dead

January 31, 2013|Reuters

* Emergency officials say more than 20 injured

* Blast caused by machinery, hit lower floors- reports

(Adds eyewitness, details)

By Alexandra Alper

MEXICO CITY, Jan 31 (Reuters) - An explosion rocked theMexico City headquarters of state oil giant Pemex on Thursday,killing one person, injuring more than 20 others and causingextensive damage to the building, officials said.

The blast, which media reports said was caused by machineryexploding, hit the lower floors of the building.

A local emergency official said one person died and 22others were injured. Another four people were trapped inside theskyscraper, the official said.

"The place shook, we lost power and suddenly there wasdebris everywhere. Colleagues were helping us out of thebuilding," witness Cristian Obele told Milenio news network.

Police quickly cordoned off the building and televisionimages showed the explosion blew out windows on the lower floorsand damaged the ground floor.

Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong rushed to thescene and said he would provide details on the incident soon.

Lines of fire trucks sped to the entrance of the buildingnear the city center and emergency workers ferried injuredpeople through debris strewn on the street.

Pemex initially said the building had been evacuated becauseof a problem with its electricity supply. It then said there hadbeen an explosion, but did not say what had caused it.Helicopters circled the building.

Plaster fell from the ceiling of the basement, and thesituation at the Pemex tower was dangerous, a spokesman forlocal emergency services said.

Pemex has suffered a number of lethal accidents in recentyears. In September, 30 people died after an explosion at aPemex natural gas facility in northern Mexico.